title: Motivation for a health-literate health care system--does socioeconomic status play a substantial role? Implications for an Irish health policymaker.
abstract: In this article, the authors argue that the association between socioeconomic status and motivation for a health-literate health care system has implications for health policymakers. As Ireland now undergoes health care reform, the authors pose the question, "Should policymakers invest in health literacy as predominately a health inequalities or a public health issue?" Data from 2 cohorts of the Survey of Lifestyle, Attitudes and Nutrition (1998 and 2002) were used to construct a motivation for a health-literate health care system variable. Multivariate logistic regressions and concentration curves were used in the analyses of this variable. Of the 12,513 pooled respondents, 46% sought at least 1 attribute on a health-literate health care system. No discernible trend emerged from the main independent variables-social class grouping, medical card eligibility, level of education, and employment-in the regression analyses. The concentration curve, for 2002 data, graphically showed that the motivation for a health-literate health care system is spread equally across the income distribution. This analysis and more recent data suggest that health literacy in Ireland should be viewed predominately as a public health issue with a policy focus at a system level.
authors.affiliation: a Department of Economics , National University of Ireland , Galway , Galway , Ireland.
authors.forename: Diarmuid
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Coughlan
authors.forename: Brian
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Turner
authors.forename: Antonio
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Trujillo
mesh_terms: D000288:Administrative Personnel; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003695:Delivery of Health Care / Q000458:organization & administration*; D057220:Health Literacy; D006291:Health Policy; D054624:Health Status Disparities; D006801:Humans; D007494:Ireland; D009042:Motivation; D012923:Social Class